ITV's three other HD channels were previously exclusive to Sky under a carriage deal struck with ITV in 2010. ITV2 HD went live on Sky in October 2010, followed by ITV2 HD and ITV3 HD the month after.

But Virgin Media customers with an XL TV subscription can now watch the additional ITV HD channels for no extra cost, offering programming such as Celebrity Juice, The Only Way Is Essex and UEFA Europa League in extra detail.

Cable operator Virgin, now owned by US media giant Liberty Global, has also said that it will add ITV's standard definition channels to Virgin TV Anywhere, the cloud-based TV service offered to Virgin TV subscribers.

Later in the year, customers will be able to stream ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 on computers, tablets or smartphones over WiFi or cellular networks.

"We're pleased to be introducing such a fantastic selection of HD content to our customers as well as bringing some of the UK's most watched channels to different screens via Virgin TV Anywhere," said Virgin Media's executive director of multiscreen content acquisition, Katherine Burns.

"ITV makes some of the country's most loved programs and with such an abundance of contemporary and classic drama, reality TV favorites and sporting highlights, these latest channels are an important addition to our growing lineup."

ITV director of pay and distribution Martin Goswami added: "We're committed to bringing the very best content and quality viewing experiences to viewers across multiple platforms so we're delighted that Virgin Media customers can now watch all of our channels in stunning HD quality as well as continue to catch up with shows they may have missed and access shows while they're on the go.

"This deal is part of our strategy to allow even more people to enjoy our programming in a time when the way our audiences watch TV continues to transform."